Buika has forgotten about our interview. The Spanish singer-songwriter was in her studio, preoccupied. “Completely stoned with my music,” she says, once her manager has given her a prod and she connects with me via video call from the Dominican Republic. “I’m so sorry.”
What is the focus of her work? “To be honest, it’s quite intricate,” she explains with the sound of a ceiling fan in the background. “Amidst the pandemic, I couldn’t handle it all. I felt isolated and fearful of everything. So my resolution was to flee – although you may think I’m irrational. Yes, I chose to flee to an exoplanet.” She is currently producing 13- to 15-minute compositions incorporating her musings and melodies from her imaginary world.
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– Many have compared Buika to famous singers such as Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, and Édith Piaf. She has worked with a diverse range of musicians including Santana, Seal, Pat Metheny, and Anoushka Shankar. Additionally, she serves as a judge on Operación Triunfo, a singing competition on Amazon Prime that is broadcasted in 33 Latin American countries. A conversation with this 51-year-old is like a journey through the stars: she is unapologetic and transcendent, equally comfortable discussing her personal life and her music. And every sincere statement is accompanied by contagious laughter – a deep expression of the heart. However, it can be challenging to define the essence of who she is.
– It’s not uncommon to hear Buika being compared to great artists like Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, and Édith Piaf. Her collaborations have included some big names, such as Santana, Seal, Pat Metheny, and Anoushka Shankar. You can also catch her as a judge on the singing competition Operación Triunfo, available on Amazon Prime in 33 countries across Latin America. A conversation with this 51-year-old is a unique experience that will transport you to another realm: she is raw and ethereal, equally content discussing her love life and her music. And every candid remark is followed by a hearty explosion of laughter – a reflection of her soul. However, it’s not easy to define the fundamental aspects of her persona.
I inquire if she still resides in Miami. “I have a secret to share with you, my sibling,” she reveals. “If you spread love, you will have a home in every corner of the world!” What I have discovered is that she is currently in Punta Cana during a break from her world tour, which will soon include a stop in London. The city reminds her of “bitter cold and deep love.”
After each tour, Buika would typically get a new tattoo on her skin, but there is not much room left. Instead, she states, “I tattoo on my heart and in my mind.” On her arm, she has two butterfly tattoos symbolizing her flight, explaining, “My journey is similar to that of a butterfly’s – I fly in all directions in order to find my true path.”
She’s just as versatile when it comes to music styles. The self-taught artist, known for her emotional performances, has experimented with flamenco, Spanish copla, jazz, pop, rumba, R&B, and soul since her first solo album in 2005. However, she prefers not to analyze herself and instead embraces her free spirit and musical range. She believes that her voice can blend well with any type of music from countries all over the world.
Buika is currently in her happy place, if you remove the intrusion of this journalist from the equation. The singer, who regards herself an introvert, is never more content than when sitting alone in her studio, naked, smoking and drinking mezcal. “I got to be honest, yes, I do sir. Every time I can.” She tells me she has never voted because she wants “to agree with everybody. I don’t really understand about right or left or red or blue. If a politician finds the time to talk about love and donkeys, I like them.”
Javier Limón, who has worked with her for a long time, has referred to her in two seemingly opposing ways: as “an extraterrestrial” and “the freest woman on the planet”. Buika herself has stated, “I dream that I am. I uncovered my superpowers when I reached 50 years old. They bring me immense feelings of freedom.” What used to scare her before? “Oh, everything. That is how we were taught: to fear not having money, to fear not being in love.”
Touring is a family affair. Buika’s production manager is her 24-year-old son, Joel, while her musical director is the boyfriend she recently re-connected with in Spain after first meeting when he was 16. “He used to come for the weekends to see our band playing and I used to see a little boy. He used to ask for orange juice and milk in a blues club. But after 20 years, I found him again in the street and I was like, ‘Hmm, hmm, you look good. How old are you now?’ And he was like, ‘Old enough to make you happy.’ He just shot my heart.” She adds: “My man is, like, 10 years younger than me. Because at my age, options are not better!”
Buika grew up in Palma de Mallorca, as the lone black family in the area. She was surrounded by the sounds of flamenco, Gypsy, and African folk music, which she absorbed like air. Her father, a pro-democracy politician from Equatorial Guinea living in exile, left when she was nine years old. As a teenager, Buika was known for her wild and rebellious ways. She would often perform on stage barefoot, with chewing gum in her mouth and no bra. She describes herself as the “enfant terrible” and would tell tall tales to avoid facing her pain. However, the first time she heard applause from the audience, it changed everything. The applause gave her the chance to become someone and she is forever grateful to them. They saved her and she credits them for everything.
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Buika, also known as the queen of flamenco fusion, has achieved numerous accolades throughout her career including a Latin Grammy and two Grammy nominations in the US. Additionally, she has published two books of poetry and appeared as a wedding singer in Almodóvar’s film, The Skin I Live In. Buika credits her “naughty” grandmother, whom she shares a name with (Concha), as an inspiration for her performances. Despite this, professionally she has always used her surname.
Did Concha also sing? “Yes, my whole family sings. We come from a small tribe known as the Bubis. It’s not like in Europe where stories are written down. In African tribes, they are sung.”
She began her journey as a struggling Tina Turner impersonator in Las Vegas, raising a young child. However, she eventually found her own distinct and gritty voice. When asked about the possibility of a Buika impersonator in a casino, she lets out a gravelly howl and admits it would drive her crazy. “Being me is no simple task,” she adds with a gap-toothed grin. “But it’s also a lot of fun.”
Source: theguardian.com
